The Los Angeles Unified School District remains on edge as a potential strike looms tomorrow, even after securing tentative labor agreements with two of three major unions over the weekend.

Early Sunday, April 12, LAUSD announced a two-year tentative pact with United Teachers Los Angeles, representing about 35,000 teachers and counselors. The deal provides an 11.65% increase in salary scales, raising the starting teacher salary to $77,000 annually. It also includes more than 450 new student support staff positions, changes to special education staffing, and additional benefits. Later that day, the district reached another tentative agreement with the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, covering principals and administrators.

Negotiations with the third union, SEIU Local 99, which represents roughly 30,000 classified workers, including bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria staff, remain unresolved. The union declared an impasse in December 2025, leading to state-mediated talks. SEIU seeks higher wages, additional staffing, and protections against layoffs amid rising living costs. As of Monday morning, the parties continued their discussions in mediation.

Even with the UTLA and AALA deals pending ratification, both unions have indicated they would join sympathy strikes if SEIU walks out, potentially closing all district schools and early education centers to its 400,000 students. Unlike the 2019 teachers' strike, this action could be open-ended until agreements are finalized.

LAUSD has prepared contingency plans, launching a family resources website with information on food distribution, student meals, and continuity of learning options. Superintendent Andrés E. Chait emphasized the district's commitment to keeping schools open but acknowledged the challenges of a multi-union work stoppage affecting nearly 85% of its 83,000 employees.

The contract disputes stem from expired agreements last summer, exacerbated by inflation, stagnant state funding, and district budget pressures. Unions demand competitive pay and resources to address class sizes, support services, and staffing shortages. LAUSD offered raises, such as 7% over two years initially, but unions pushed for more, criticizing district spending priorities like technology investments.

District officials stated, "We will continue to meet with our remaining labor partners... with the intent to reach additional agreements that would allow us to keep schools open on Tuesday, April 14." SEIU Local 99 affirmed it would proceed with strike plans absent a deal, expecting solidarity from other workers.

Parents expressed mixed anxiety and support, with some scrambling for childcare and others backing educators' calls for better conditions. As talks persist today, the fate of Tuesday's school operations hangs in the balance for one of the nation's largest districts.